Connector and connection for storage batteries.



T. A. WILLARD.

CONNECTOR AND coNNEcTmN FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. I915.-

L$59$ Patented May 8, 1917.

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THEODORE A. WILLARD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WILLARD STORAGEBATTERY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CONNECTOR AND CONNECTION FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE A. W11.-

"'LARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in thecounty of Cuyahoga and State of-Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Connectors and Connections for Storage Batteries,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a terminal connector and connection forstorage batteries, and has for its chief object to provide aconstruction which overcomesmany of the difficulties attending the useof tapered plug connectors heretofore employed on storage batteries.

More specifically considered, the invention aims to provide a connectionof which the connector of the battery is a part, which is strong andcompact and has low resistance and wherein the cooperating parts arevery tightly connected and will not be corroded by the acid from thebattery.

Additional advantages reside in the large area of contact and in theaccessibility of tightening or loosening the parts and the ease withwhich the parts can be assembled and disassembled.

The above and their objects are attained by my invention which may bebriefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will bedescribed in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figure l is a top plan View of aportion of a storage battery equipped with myinvention; Fig. 2 is asectional View through the several parts of the connection including theterminal connector of the battery; Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2,showing the parts separated; and Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing aslight modification.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a battery jar and 11 one ofthe battery terminal connectors, which is preferably formed of lead. Thebody of this terminal has a socket which receives the terminal post 11of the battery extending up through the cover of the battery jar,

the post and connector being lead-burned together. The connector 11 isprovided with a lateralextension 12 of less depth than the body part ofthe connector, this extension Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1991?.

Application filed July 16, 1915. Serial No. 40,189.

being some distance below thetop of the connector, as shown in Fig. 2.Buried in the connector is an insert 13 of relatively hard goodconducting metal, such as brass or copper, which extends in a horizontaldirection through the lateral extension 12 into the body part of theconnector where it is provided with a portion in the shape of an annuluswhich surrounds the terminal post 11*. The other end of the insert isprovided with a conical boss or head 14 extending or protruding. fromthe top of the terminal extension 12 near the outer end thereof. In theconstruction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 this boss or head of the insert isprovided with a tapped or threaded opening for a clamping screw.

Cooperating with and adapted to be electrically connected to the taperedpart of the insert is a terminal 15 for a flexible conductor 16. Thisterminal, which is formed of good conducting material, such as brass orcopper, has a flattened portion provided near its end with a socket 17tapered in opposite directions from the center. The lower tapered partof the socket fits onto the tapered head 14 of the insert and the uppertapered part of the socket. receives a correspondingly tapered screwhead or nut of a binding device which is utilized to draw the terminalmembers together. In the construction shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3,T utilize a cap screw 18 having a threaded shank which enters into thethreaded socket of the head 14 of'theinsert and an integral head whichis tapered on the exterior and fits into the upper tapered part of thesocket 17. When the screw is tightened the terminal 15 is pulled tightlyinto contact With the tapered head of the insert, and at the same timethe tapered head of the screw is drawn tightly into the tapered socketof the terminal 15. The screw may be formed of copper, brass or othergood condui'lting material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the protruding head of the inserthere designated 19 is provided with an integral threaded stud 20 whichreceives a nut 21 tapered on the exterior and adapted to draw togetherthe tapered parts of the insert and terminal 15 and to tightly engage inthe socket of the terminal. The construction is otherwise the same asthat first described.

' In both constructions the exposed metal connections utilized withstorage batteries the parts could not be drawn together tightly enoughto prevent the creepage of acid between the engagin parts, and inconsequence the parts woul corrode and could not be easily disassembledor taken apart,

and when assembled did not fit together closely enough to provide ajoint of the required low resistance. On the other. hand, with myinvention the previously enumerated and other advantagesare attained toa very high degree. The joint or connection has low resistancedue to thelarge'area of contact between the engaging parts and to the fact thatthe terminal 15 has tapered portionswhich are forced very tightly intocontact with both the insert and binding screw ornut. In fact, the partsvirtually grind into each other so tightly that the acid cannot creepbetween the contactingsurfaces.

Additionally, the bindingv screw is accessible and the parts can beeasily assembled and disassembled; the terminal 15 can be pointed ordirected in any direction with respect to the battery terminal; and theheight of the connection is minimized, this latter being due partly tothe fact that the nut or screw enters into the socket of the terminal 15and partly to the factthat the battery terminal extension to which theterminal 15 is directly connected is lowered or ofl'set from the top ofthe battery terminal or connector.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is:-

1. A storage battery connector or terminal, comprising a body having asocket for a battery terminal-post and having an insert provided with aprotruding part to which a conductor may be connected.

2. A connector or terminal adapted for storage batteries, comprising abody having I an insert of relatively hard material, said insert havinga projecting tapered portion to which a terminal of a conductor may beconnected.

3. A connector or terminal for storage batteries, comprising a bodyhaving a socket for a terminal post and having a lateral extensionprojecting from the socketed part,

; memes an insert of relatively'hard material buried 4. A connectorhaving a body portion provided with a socket for a terminal post of abattery and with an insert of relatively hard material, said inserthaving a portion extendin around said socket and a tapered projectingpart to which a terminal of a conductor may be attached. j

5. A storage battery connector having a body portion provided with asocket for a terminal post and having an extension, an insert ofrelatively hard matrial'buried in the connector and extending throughthe extension and around the socket of the body portion of theconnector, said insert having near one end of. the extension aprojecting part to which a terminal of a conductor may be attached. I

6. In a connection adapted for storage batteries, a battery connector orterminal and a conductor terminal, one of said terminals having atapered projection and the other having a socket tapered-in oppositedirections, said projectionengaging one part of said socket, and clampinmeans for drawing the parts together having a tapered part engaging in te other part of said socket.

7. In a connection for storage batteries, a battery connector forterminal having an insert with a tapered projecting portion, a conductorterminal having a socket tapered in opposite directions, one part of thesocket fitting into the tapered part of the insert, and'a clampingdevice engaging said insert and having a tapered portion which fits intothe other tapered part of the socket.

8. In a connection for storage batteries, a battery connector orterminal having a lateral extension displaced from the top thereof, aninsert of relatively hard material in said extension and having aprojecting tapered portion, a conductor terminal having a taperedportion in engagement with the tapered portion of the insert, and athreaded clamping device for drawing said tapered portions together.

9. In a connection for storage batteries, a battery connector orterminal having an insert provided with an exteriorly tapered portion, aconductor terminal having atapered socket engaging'said tapered portionof the insert, and means for clamping the parts together comprising adevice having a threaded portion engagmg the insert.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. v THEODORE A. WILLARD.

